Our Lady of Czestochowa

Image from page 155 of “Young Folks’ History of the United States” (1903). / Credit: Public domain

St. Louis, Missouri, Nov 27, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

In 1621, lacking both the skills and the resources necessary to survive in the harsh territory of New England, European pilgrims encountered a miracle: a Native American who not only spoke English but who also used his skills and knowledge to help them adapt to their environment and survive the brutal winter.

This was Squanto, a man who occupies a special place in the hearts of many people who celebrate Thanksgiving because of his willingness and ability to help the newcomers to his land.

Squanto’s full name was Tisquantum, and he was a member of the Patuxet tribe, which lived in and around modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was probably born around 1585 in the area that is now Boston.

Little is known about Tisquantum’s early life, but what is known is that he was abducted from his homeland as a slave by an Englishman, Thomas Hunt, in 1614. He ended up in Malaga, Spain, where a group of Franciscans bought him in order to free him. It is apparently from these Franciscans that he received baptism and became Catholic, though it is not clear to what extent he was catechized and practiced his new faith.

Damien Costello, a Catholic historian and theologian, told CNA that the historical record portrays “a very skillful agent” in Tisquantum who was able to change his situation and engage with European culture. He was able to find employment as a translator in England and later convinced a wealthy financier to fund an expedition back to his homeland.

When Tisquantum finally made it back to where his tribe lived in present-day Massachusetts, his life took a tragic turn. He discovered that his entire tribe, while he was in Europe, had been wiped out by disease — he was the sole survivor.

The Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620. They were far from the first Europeans to set foot on those shores — this was many years after Jesuit missionaries had started missionary activity in the area but hadn’t settled. When the Pilgrims arrived in what had once been Patuxet territory, the empty land made a good place to settle. Tisquantum, no doubt mourning the loss of his people, was nevertheless able to deftly reinvent himself as an intermediary between the Pilgrims and Native leaders.

In March 1621, the chief of the Wampanoag confederation, Massasoit, went to meet with the Pilgrims and brought Tisquantum along to translate. After negotiations fell apart, Tisquantum stayed with the Pilgrims and helped to facilitate what we now know as the first Thanksgiving — a meal between the Pilgrims and the Natives of the area. Tisquantum died the next year, in 1622.

So, was Tisquantum a Catholic? Costello says it is likely he was baptized and thus, theologically, he was indeed a Catholic. Native American culture was very spiritual, and Costello said he doesn’t think it unlikely that Tisquantum saw his baptism as a positive spiritual experience.

“Catholicism was a crucial ingredient in Squanto’s resiliency, the regenerative principle that gave spiritual power to sustain the disjunction of being a global citizen in a world forever turned upside down,” Costello later wrote in an article for U.S. Catholic.

As to whether Tisquantum continued to practice his Catholic faith for the rest of his life, there’s little evidence to say for sure. In a very real sense, God only knows.

This story was adapted from an episode of Catholic News Agency’s award-winning storytelling podcast, CNA Newsroom, and first published on Nov. 24, 2022. You can listen to that episode here.

Nadia Howlader is given a key to a new apartment by Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 16 on the ninth World Day of the Poor. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 10:50 am (CNA).

At 35 weeks pregnant Nadia Howlader became homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, Australia, but all of that changed when she was given a key to a new apartment by Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 16 on the ninth World Day of the Poor. 

Continuing a tradition begun by Pope Francis last year to combat homelessness and bring hope to vulnerable families during the 2025 Jubilee year of Hope in 13 countries, Pope Leo blessed 13 keys — one of which symbolized the key to Howlader’s new apartment in a Sydney suburb, faciliated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Australia. 

Howlader, and her daughter Alisha, traveled to Rome with members of the society for an audience with the pope where she received the blessed key from Pope Leo and thanked him for the generous gift.  

The “13 Houses” campaign was inspired by the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, and his decision in 1643 to use an endowment from French King Louis XIII to build 13 small houses near the Vincentian headquarters in Paris to care for abandoned children. 

The 13 countries included in the project this year are Syria, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. 

“The St. Vincent de Paul Society is probably the largest homeless prevention organization in Australia,” said Graham West of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in an interview with Sydney’s 10 News. Through the work of the case workers and working with our housing team we’ve now been able to find a house for Nadia to live in.”

Since 2018, the “13 Houses” campaign has helped over 10,000 people in 70 countries.

Pope Leo XIV receives a Thanksgiving pie on board the papal flight to Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 / Credit: Courtesy of Claudio Lavanga

Rome Newsroom, Nov 27, 2025 / 09:25 am (CNA).

Aboard the papal plane on Thanksgiving Day, Pope Leo XIV kicked off his first international trip — a visit to Turkey — with distinctly American gifts: a baseball bat and pumpkin pie. 

“To the Americans here, Happy Thanksgiving!” Leo said as he greeted about 80 journalists aboard the chartered ITA Airways flight to Ankara on Thursday morning. “It’s a wonderful day to celebrate.” 

Two American journalists traveling with the pope gave him pumpkin pies. “It’s not Thanksgiving if there’s not enough to share,” Crux correspondent Elise Ann Allen told the pope as she handed him the second pie. 

“I’ll definitely share some,” Leo responded. The pope had plenty to share as NBC News correspondent Claudio Lavanga also gave him a pecan pie.  

Leo, a longtime Chicago White Sox fan, also received a baseball bat once owned by Nellie Fox, the White Sox legend who played for the team from 1950 to 1963, when Leo, then Robert Prevost, was a small child. 

Smiling, the pope joked, “How did it get through security?” 

As a collective gift from the Vatican press corps, the pope received a Byzantine-style icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe made by Spanish iconographer Débora Martínez, a missionary in Cyprus. 

The icon, presented by Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki, who has logged more than 170 papal trips, was crafted using classical techniques of Eastern iconography. It depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe in Byzantine style, symbolically linking Latin America’s Marian tradition with the iconography of the Christian East. 

At the start of the nearly three-hour flight, the pope continued a practice of his predecessor Pope Francis of walking down the aisle to greet each journalist. 

Among them was Elias Turk, a journalist from Lebanon who is the Vatican editor for ACI MENA and EWTN News. Turk briefly shared a personal story with the pope, recounting how he lived through part of the 2024 escalation between Hezbollah and Israel and was trapped in Lebanon during the fighting. 

“I told him that I lived … a traumatizing experience with my nephews during the war. We had to run and hide inside a house after being in a garden. We heard fighter jets passing in the skies and then powerful explosions,” he explained. The pope listened closely. 

Turk, who is godfather to his nephews, asked the pope to bless two rosaries for the children, a three-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old, so they could pray for peace. He also carried a third rosary for a two-year-old Polish girl who has been repeatedly hospitalized. 

In a light moment with another journalist, Pope Leo said he had already completed his daily Wordle game before takeoff, adding that he solved Thursday’s puzzle in three tries. 

According to the pope’s brother, Leo plays Wordle every day and his favorite Thanksgiving dish is stuffing. 

During his first apostolic trip, taking place Nov. 27–Dec. 2, Leo will visit Turkey and Lebanon. 

Pope Leo XIV with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Turkey, on November 27, 2025. / Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 08:25 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV opened his first international trip on Thursday with a sweeping call for unity, renewed dialogue, and a rejection of the global drift toward division and violence.

Speaking in Turkey’s capital of Ankara on Nov. 27 during his formal welcome by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the pope said he hoped Turkey could be “a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples” and serve the cause of a “just and lasting peace.” He described the country as “inextricably linked to the origins of Christianity” and a land that invites a fraternity “that recognizes and appreciates differences.”

Launching a six-day trip that will also take him to Lebanon, the pope said the region’s peoples can help remind the world that peace, human dignity, and fraternity “are the only sure foundations for our common future.”

The massive Presidential Palace where he spoke has become a symbol of Turkey’s contemporary political authority since Erdoğan inaugurated it in 2014. Bombed during the failed 2016 coup attempt, it remains the seat from which Erdoğan has shaped the country’s domestic and international posture. Before his meeting with Erdoğan, the pope paid his respects at the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic.

In his remarks welcoming Leo, Erdoğan praised the cultural openness and interreligious harmony of Turkish society and his country's commitment to peace and humanitarian assistance, citing its welcome to refugees from Syria's long civil war.

In his speech, the pope rejected the mentality of “might is right,” urging a renewed “culture of encounter” to counter what he described as a growing “globalization of indifference.” Justice and mercy, he said, must guide political and social life. He also warned that artificial intelligence risks entrenching existing inequalities because it “simply reproduces our own preferences,” and appealed for cooperation to “repair the damage already done to the unity of our human family.”

Recalling his predecessor’s description of today’s conflicts as “a third world war fought piecemeal,” Pope Leo cautioned: “We must not give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake.” He said the Vatican seeks to work with all nations committed to the integral development of each person.

Calling Turkey a “crossroads of sensibilities,” the pope emphasized that the country’s social vitality depends on plurality. “Uniformity would be an impoverishment,” he said, warning that communities today risk becoming “polarized and torn by extreme positions.” Reflecting on the journey’s emblem — a bridge spanning the Dardanelles — he said it symbolizes not only a link between Asia and Europe but also a deeper call to unity: “It connects Turkey to itself.”

Pope Leo recalled Saint John XXIII, remembered locally as the “Turkish Pope” because he spent nearly a decade as a Vatican diplomat in Turkey before becoming pontiff and worked to ensure Catholics were not marginalized in the early decades of the republic. Echoing the saint’s teaching, Leo dismissed isolationism as “a false logic.” He also highlighted the contributions of women to society and international life and underscored the importance of the family, where “without the ‘other’ there is no ‘I’.”

Turning to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the primary impetus for his visit, which will include ecumenical meetings and worship with Eastern Orthodox leaders, the pope said the historic 4th-century gathering still speaks of encounter and sustained dialogue.

Turkey has played roles in several regional conflicts in recent years, including involvement in the Syrian war and support for Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia. At the same time, Ankara has taken part in diplomatic efforts, including mediating between Russia and Ukraine and influencing ceasefire discussions involving Hamas.

Pope Leo was scheduled to continue on by air to Istanbul following the speech, and had no further public events planned for Thursday.

Bishop Stephen Hero celebrates Mass to start the Jubilee Year in December 2024 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Prince Albert, Saskachewan. Hero has been appointed Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Prince Albert

Edmonton, Canada, Nov 27, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Stephen A. Hero of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, as the eighth archbishop of Edmonton, succeeding Archbishop Richard Smith, who became archbishop of Vancouver in May.

The announcement came just days after the Nov. 17 announcement of Father Susai Jesu, OMI, as the new archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

In a letter to the clergy and faithful of Edmonton, Hero said he was “humbled and grateful for the trust placed in me to take up this new mission in the Church and to serve in a community that is already close to my heart.” He will be installed on Jan. 23 , 2026, at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton.

Hero, 56, is a native of Lachine, Quebec, and moved to Edmonton at age 10. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Edmonton in 2000 after studies at the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, British Columbia, and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He later obtained a licentiate in liturgical theology from Sant’Anselmo.

He served as an assistant pastor in Edmonton parishes, as vocations director, and then joined the formation team at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton. He became vice rector in 2010 and rector in 2012, teaching spirituality, liturgy, and sacraments at Newman Theological College. Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Prince Albert in 2021.

In his message to the Diocese of Prince Albert, he expressed sadness at leaving, thanking parishioners, clergy, and religious and, referencing the North Saskatchewan River, noted the “river that flows from Edmonton to Prince Albert” as a reminder of their shared connection and “the same grace of God that gives us life.” He becomes diocesan administrator of Prince Albert until his installation in Edmonton.

His episcopal motto, “Deus Solus” (“God Alone”), comes from Psalm 86:10 and reflects his conviction that God must remain at the center of Christian life. His updated coat of arms will incorporate the heraldic insignia of an archbishop, including the archiepiscopal cross and 10 tassels on each side. A black field signifies the finiteness of creation; a gold saltire cross marks Christ’s saving death and resurrection; turtledoves evoke St. Joseph and his Temple offering; and 12 stars represent Our Lady and the hope of eternal glory.

Father Paul Kavanagh, administrator of the Archdiocese of Edmonton, welcomed the appointment on behalf of clergy, religious, and faithful, calling the new archbishop “a gift from God” and assuring him of prayers and support as he returns home.

‘A humbing experience’

Jesu’s episcopal ordination will take place at the end of January at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in The Pas, Manitoba.

Jesu said the words of Mary’s Magnificat came to his mind on hearing of his appointment. “It is a humbling experience to receive God’s calling to serve as a bishop,” he said, adding that his heart was “filled with gratitude and joy.”

Born in 1971 in Pushpavanam, Tamil Nadu, India, he entered the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. He later earned degrees in psychology and counseling, and came to Canada in 2007 at the invitation of the Oblates.

He first served for several years in the northern communities of Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay in the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas, learning the Cree language and forming lasting friendships. He subsequently ministered for many years in Edmonton, becoming widely known for his work at Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples and, more recently, for his ministry at Lac Ste. Anne, Enoch, Alexis Reserve, Paul Band First Nation, and Alexander First Nation.

Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Winnipeg, who has served as apostolic administrator since 2024, welcomed the news, noting that Jesu “served here for seven years and knows our communities well.” Kavanagh also praised his pastoral gifts and his close accompaniment of Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit peoples.

The Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas is home to Metis, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dene, and non-Indigenous peoples across 280,000 square miles. Jesu said he hopes to serve its communities “with faith and love,” continuing the Oblate charism of evangelizing the poor and accompanying those most in need.

This story was first published by The B.C. Catholic and has been adapted by CNA. It is reprinted here with permission.

Pope Leo XIV speaks from the Vatican, Nov. 21, 2025 / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 06:28 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for December is for Christians living amidst war or conflict, especially in the Middle East:

“Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation, and hope,” the Holy Father said in a video released Nov. 25 by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

Father Cristóbal Fones, international director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, emphasized that Leo XIV's request "is a gesture of closeness and hope: a way of saying to the Christians of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and so many other countries that they are not forgotten, that the universal Church walks with them; but also to remind us all that faith grows even in the midst of trials, and that seeds of reconciliation and peace can be born from wounded communities."

Below is the prayer that Pope Leo XIV encourages us to pray this December:

God of peace,
who through the blood of Your Son
has reconciled the world to Yourself,
today we pray for Christians
living amidst wars and violence. 

Even surrounded by pain, may they
never cease to feel the gentle kindness of your presence
and the prayers of their brothers and sisters in faith.

For only through You, and strengthened by fraternal bonds,
can they become the seeds of reconciliation,
builders of hope in ways both small and great,
capable of forgiving and moving forward,
of bridging divides,
and of seeking justice with mercy.

Lord Jesus, who called blessed
those who work for peace,
make us Your instruments of peace
even where harmony seems impossible.

Holy Spirit,
source of hope in the darkest times,
sustain the faith of those who suffer and strengthen their hope.
Do not let us fall into indifference,
and make us builders of unity, like Jesus.

Amen.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Students in Lebanon from the School of the Apostles (“Collège des Apôtres”) in Jounieh, prepare letters and posters ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit. / Credit: Noelle El Hajj

ACI MENA, Nov 27, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The arrival of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon is approaching quickly, and preparations are underway at every level — state institutions, municipalities, parishes, and countless volunteers are working to ensure the country is ready for this historic moment. 

It’s not only leaders and officials who are preparing. In the School of the Apostles (“Collège des Apôtres”) in Jounieh, children are also getting ready in their own way, eager to welcome the Holy Father and to take part in an event they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Preparing hearts and minds for the papal visit

Father Maroun Moubarak, the superior of the School of the Apostles, explained that for his students, the visit represents a defining moment — one they will carry with them forever. It is a milestone not every generation is granted: Previous ones experienced such occasions only during the visits of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II.

Moubarak emphasized that the visit also reveals the deep compassion the Vatican and the pope hold for Lebanon. He stressed that the attention Pope Leo is giving to the country means a great deal to the students.

“It stands as a call for young Christians to remain steadfast, to deepen their faith, and to live it each day. They await the visit with joy and anticipation,” he told ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.

The priest also explained how the school is preparing students for the visit, noting that a structured plan has been developed to guide them both spiritually and intellectually.

The program includes internal communication materials that introduce the meaning of the visit and the role of the papacy. Students are also learning about the official logo of the visit and its symbols. Daily Masses are being celebrated with special intentions for the success of the visit, and workshops and research projects on the Vatican and previous papal trips are being created and displayed across the school campus, fostering a shared spirit of unity and anticipation.

Letters to the pope

One of the initiatives the school undertook in preparation of the papal visit was inviting students to write letters to the pope — an activity designed to help them feel personally involved in the visit. 

The children were given complete freedom to express whatever they wished to say or ask, and the results were remarkably diverse: Each student had a unique perspective, tone, and style. The letters were written in English, Arabic, and French — the languages taught at the school — and they revealed a wide range of thoughts and hopes. Many shared a common request: that the pope pray for Lebanon’s financial recovery. It is a plea that reflects the severity of the economic crisis and how deeply even the youngest feel its impact.

Among the students is Makarios Osta, in Grade 8, who chose to share a clear wishlist. He wrote:

“First, please pray that Lebanon gets leaders who truly love their country.

“Second, please pray that our parents smile again when they talk about the future.

“Third, please pray that Christians in Lebanon don’t feel small or tired anymore. We want to be proud, strong, and free to dream.”

Another student, Cassandra Katerji, focused her letter on promises. She wrote:

“We don’t want to grow up in despair. We promise to be the generation that rebuilds Lebanon, not only its buildings, but its faith, its hope, its moral strength.

“Lebanon is a country of many religions and voices. Sometimes those voices clash. But we, the youth, promise to speak only the language of peace.

“Sometimes Lebanon feels like a land of fading lights. But we, the youth, refuse to let the flame die. We promise to keep the light of Christ burning, in our schools, our homes, our conversations, even on social media.”

Classmate Rita Tahtouh added a striking and thoughtful message, writing: “We are like the cedars of God, we do not fear the storms; what we fear is becoming wood burned in political deals.”

Chris Abi Hanna, on the other hand, shared a lighter and more playful note. He wrote: “I hope you enjoy the Land of the Cedars and the saints. I know your schedule will be super busy, but I really hope you’ll find a little time to taste our food, some kibbeh and tabbouleh, with a view of our beautiful mountains. Just one warning, Your Holiness: After that meal, every other Vatican lunch will feel a little boring.”

Beyond the visit

Looking beyond the visit, Moubarak emphasized that the school’s mission does not end when the pope leaves Lebanon. 

“We aim to encourage our students to continue following the pope’s teachings, his travels, and his messages, understanding that the Church is alive, present, and close to people’s daily struggles, not something distant or purely ceremonial,” he said.

He explained that students will listen attentively to the pope’s address to young people during the gathering in Bkerke and then translate his words into concrete commitments through workshops and reflection.

He noted that the Vatican, particularly through the Dicastery for Culture and Education, plays a crucial role in forming the human person in all dimensions, not only spiritually but also intellectually, morally, and socially. This formation, he said, enables young people to take their place in society and contribute to its growth. In Lebanon, he added, families sacrifice greatly to educate their children; education is considered their most valuable treasure, and continued support, both spiritual and material, is essential.

Pope Leo XIV blesses rosaries for EWTN News' Elias Turk aboard the papal plane to Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 27, 2025. / Credit: Courtesy Elias Turk of EWTN News.

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 04:57 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey Thursday on his first international apostolic journey. The wide-ranging trip — spanning historic ecumenical encounters, deeply symbolic gestures of prayer, and pastoral visits to Christian communities under pressure — is expected to highlight the pope’s priorities of unity, peace, and encouragement across a region marked by both ancient faith and present suffering.

During his flight from Rome, the pope told reporters that he hoped his trip would be an occasion to "proclaim how important peace is throughout the world, and to invite all people to come together, to search for greater unity, greater harmony, and to look for the ways that all men and women can truly be brothers and sisters."

He also wished American reporters in particular a Happy Thanksgiving.

The papal plane arrived in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, around 12:30 pm local time. Upon arrival, the pope was scheduled to visit the Atatürk Mausoleum, built in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. He will then travel to the Presidential Palace for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and an address to authorities, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps. The pope will not remain overnight in Ankara but will continue by air to Istanbul the same day.

Ecumenically focused visit

The visit to Turkey centers on the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The pope will participate in an ecumenical prayer service in Iznik, the site of the historic council that articulated Christian teaching on the nature of Christ and affirmed the Nicene Creed. The council also issued disciplinary norms and established a common date for Easter.

During his stay, the pope will take part in several ceremonies and is expected to sign a joint declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. He will also visit Istanbul’s Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

A notable omission from the pope’s itinerary is Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine church-turned-mosque that the Turkish government designated a museum open to all faiths in the 20th century. Pope Francis visited the monument in 2014, on the last papal visit to Turkey, but said he was “deeply pained” when the government turned it back into a mosque six years later. Patriarch Bartholomew also protested the change.

Pope Leo’s visit carries particular significance for Turkey’s small Christian community, which looks to the pope for support and encouragement. The motto for the visit is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” The Catholic community has witnessed several attacks in past decades, such as the killing of Father Andrea Santoro in Trabzon in 2006 and the assassination of the Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, Bishop Luigi Padovese, in 2010. In 2024, two people attacked Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district during Holy Mass, leading to the death of one person attending the service. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the last attack.

Christians have also been facing, like the rest of the population, the economic consequences of severe inflation in the Turkish lira, the national currency, in recent years. They have likewise endured the devastating effects of the earthquake that shook southern Turkey in February 2023.

A message of peace for Lebanon

After Turkey, the pope will travel to Lebanon. Speaking to journalists last month, he said he would have there “the opportunity to proclaim once again the message of peace in the Middle East, in a country that has suffered so much.”

Leo’s itinerary in Lebanon highlights both the nation’s deep Christian roots and its recent trauma. The pope will visit the tomb of St. Charbel, a revered Maronite saint, in Annaya, meet with young people outside the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, and spend time in silent prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed more than 236 people and injured over 7,000, according to Human Rights Watch.

Lebanon’s Christian community has endured years of hardship — from the 2019 economic collapse to the 2020 blast, as well as ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah since October 2023. Though weakened by emigration and crisis, Christians remain central to the nation’s political and social life: the president, army commander, and central bank governor must all be Maronite Catholics, and Parliament is evenly divided between Christians and Muslims.

Many Lebanese Christians have left the country in search of stability and economic opportunity. For those who remain, the pope’s presence is widely seen as a sign of hope, particularly during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.

Pope Leo XIV lands in Ankara on Nov. 27. 2025 for his historic first papal journey to Turkey and Lebanon. / Credit: Vatican Media.

CNA Staff, Nov 26, 2025 / 22:12 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV began the first apostolic journey of his papacy to Turkey and Lebanon from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2. Watch LIVE the major events of this trip at youtube.com/@ewtnnews and follow our live updates of his historic trip:

Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś is the new archbishop of Krakow, the archdiocese that Pope St. John Paul II led in Poland. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez / EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Nov 26, 2025 / 19:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, until now the archbishop of Łódź, as the new archbishop of Krakow, the archdiocese in Poland that was formerly led by Pope St. John Paul II.

The cardinal succeeds Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, 76, whose resignation has been accepted by the Holy Father, as reported by the Vatican Press Office on Nov. 26.

Ryś was born on Feb. 9, 1964, in Krakow and is 61 years old. He will lead the archdiocese where Karol Wojtyła, who would later become Pope St. John Paul II, served as a priest, auxiliary bishop, and archbishop from 1946 to 1978, the year he was elected Successor of St. Peter.

Who is the new archbishop of Krakow in Poland?

Ryś studied at the major seminary in Krakow and was ordained a priest on May 22, 1988. He worked on and received a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Theological Academy of Krakow (1989-1994).

He has held, among others, the following positions: parochial vicar of Saints Margaret and Catherine in Kęty (1988-1989); professor of Church history at the Pontifical Theological Academy in Krakow which would later become the John Paul II Pontifical University (1994-2011); rector of the major seminary (2007-2011); and president of the Conference of Rectors of Major Seminaries in Poland (2010-2011).

He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow on July 16, 2011, and received episcopal consecration on Sept. 28 that year. On Sept. 14, 2017, he was appointed archbishop of Łódź.

Pope Francis created him a cardinal at the consistory of Sept. 30, 2023.

Within the Polish Bishops Conference, he presides over the Council for Religious Dialogue and the Committee for Dialogue with Judaism, according to a statement from the Polish episcopate. He is also a member of the Council for Ecumenism, the Council for Culture and the Protection of Cultural Heritage, and the Council for the Family.

At the Vatican, he is a member of the Dicastery for Bishops and the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

His episcopal motto is: Virtus in infirmitate (Strength in weakness).

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.